Author: IGIHE

DRC rights activist says army kills 7 attackers in Beni

{A human rights activist in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo says at least seven assailants have been killed as the army fought off attacks on a prison, police station and the town hall in and around the city of Beni.}

Omar Kavota said on Thursday the attackers also bombed a school and wounded some students who were taking exams.

Kavota says the death toll could rise as DRC’s military pursues other attackers.

Beni Mayor Nyonyi Bwanakawa blames the attack on Mai Mai rebels.

Kavota also says he has warned officials that a new rebel coalition may have formed for these latest attacks. Armed men also attacked a Beni prison earlier this month, killing at least 11 and freeing 900 prisoners.

Scores of armed groups fight for control in DRC’s mineral-rich east.

Source:News 24

June 23, 2017
EU pledges Shs340 billion to Uganda for South Sudan refugees

{The EU pledged 85 million euros (about Shs340,872,633,942) to Uganda Thursday, ahead of a summit to raise twenty times that amount to help it deal with nearly one million refugees from South Sudan.}

Uganda is facing the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis as South Sudanese pour over the border to escape more than three years of civil war in their country.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is visiting a refugee settlement Thursday, before joining other top officials, donors and regional leaders for the Refugee Solidarity Summit in Kampala on Friday.

The summit aims to raise $2 billion for the coming year, however organisers say $8 billion is needed to deal with the crisis for the coming four years.

The European pledge is to “help Uganda deal with this unprecedented situation and support the most vulnerable refugees,” said aid commissioner Christos Stylianides, who visited the Imvepi settlement in the remote north of the country with UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi.

“Uganda’s example of helping vulnerable people cope with displacement is an example for the whole region and the world. However no country can deal with such a high number of refugees on its own,” said Stylianides.

{{‘Treating the symptoms’}}

According to the UN refugee agency more than 947,000 South Sudanese refugees are sheltering in Uganda, bringing the total number of refugees in the east African nation to more than 1.2 million.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, was plunged into civil war in 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his rival and former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup against him.
An August 2015 peace deal was left in tatters when fighting broke out in Juba in July last year, spreading violence across the country.

It was this outbreak of fighting that led to the biggest exodus, with some 743,000 South Sudanese arriving in Uganda since July 2016, about 2,000 a day.

More than 270,000 are housed in Bidibidi settlement, which overtook Kenya’s Dadaab earlier this year as the biggest refugee camp in the world.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been hailed for a progressive refugee policy in which refugees are allowed to work and access public services.

However the situation on the ground has been overwhelming for locals and aid workers, with not enough food and water to go around.

The UN estimates that another 500,000 South Sudanese will arrive in Uganda this year.

The summit will not include discussions on how to end the ongoing fighting, and there is no peace process in sight.

“We are treating the symptoms but the real root cause of this violence should be addressed. That is what is forcing people to run from their land,” said Wadri Sam Nykua, the top government official in Arua, Uganda, welcoming the EU and UN officials to the refugee settlement.

Source:Daily Monitor

June 23, 2017
Rusizi foreign attackers to be handled-Kagame

{President Paul Kagame has sent a message of comfort to the residents of Rusizi district, Western Province affected by recent attack by unidentified bandits that killed one and injured eight, saying this foreign-hatched incursion won’t repeat without solution.}

Kagame noted this yesterday in a press conference after presenting his credentials to National Electoral Commission as a bidding process to represent RPF Inkotanyi in upcoming presidential elections.

President Kagame explained that wherever in Rusizi or elsewhere where security was not effectively handled is an issue that should be handled with urgency saying the incident involved attackers from outside Rwanda.

“I don’t think it will happen twice, three times; there is no way of solving it as long as the mastermind doesn’t understand that it was not worth. The current information we have indicates that the attackers came from outside. There are Rwandans who collaborated with those who came from outside to destabilize, by throwing grenades, gunned people, some were injured others dead .Some connivers were arrested. We are still following up to establish the truth,” he said.

In March 2017, two people were shot dead in the region near Rwanda-Burundi border where after masterminds fled to Burundi.

The spokesperson of Rwanda Defense Force (RDF), Lt Col René Ngendahimana told IGIHE on Wednesday that investigations have started following previous night’s grenade attack in Bugarama sector, Rusizi district where eight people were injured and one identified as Kandenzi Vestine, 52, shot dead. .

June 23, 2017
Niyitegeka replaces late Mukayisenga in parliament

{The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has announced Niyitegeka Winifride as the appointed eMember of Parliament to replace Mukayisenga Françoise who passed on recently. }

The statement signed by NEC Chairman,Prof Kalisa Mbanda saying that basing on the constitution and the law regulating elections ‘NEC informs Rwandans that Niyitegeka Winifride holding the 50th position on the list of parliamentary candidates of RPF Inkotanyi will replace late Mukayisenga Françoise in the lower chamber of parliament.’

NEC says they approved the new MP after receiving a letter from RPF requesting the replacement of late MP Mukayisenga from RPF Inkotanyi.

Mukayisenga died on 12th June 2017 at Kanombe Military Hospital.

Articles 77 and 78 of the constitution state that a Member of Parliament who passes on while still serving his mandate is replaced in accordance with the provisions of the electoral law.

Article 106 of the law indicates that the speaker of parliament has to inform NEC in not later than 10 days when a member leaves for various reasons to have he/she replaced.

The replacement has to respect the sequence of candidates’ voter score on the previous voters’ list.

NEC is also supposed to announce the successor in not more than 7 days after the replacement request from the speaker of parliament.

June 23, 2017
Kenya:Al Shabaab attack leaves four dead in Mandera

{A police officer and three civilians were on Friday, June 23 killed after suspected Al Shabaab operatives attacked a local bank in Elwak Town, Mandera County.}

According to the County Commissioner, Fredrick Shisia, the suspects – armed with assault riffles – attacked equity Bank in Elwak where two police officers were stationed.

The attackers started shooting randomly before disappearing.

Investigations have since been launched even as cases of attacks targeted on police officers have been on the rise in Kenya’s North Eastern area.

Source:The Citizen.co.ke

June 23, 2017
Rubavu: Police seize 45kgs of cannabis

{Police in Rubavu District have arrested a 28-year old man identified as Senzira Uzayisenga, after he was found trafficking about 45kgs of cannabis into the country.}

The suspect currently held at Gisenyi Police station, was arrested on Wednesday in Iyobokamana Village of Mbugangari Cell in Gisenyi Sector.

According to the Western Region Police spokesperson, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Theobald Kanamugire, Uzayisenga was arrested following information provided by residents, who had suspected him of trafficking drugs.

“After receiving the information and the routes he was using, we trailed Uzayisenga and arrested him carrying six sacks, which we observed that it was cannabis after opening them,” the spokesperson said.

He added that police is currently compiling a case file that would be forwarded for prosecution, and thanked residents that provided information that led to the arrest of the trafficker.

CIP Kanamugire noted that the suspect risks a jail sentence of up to five year years and a fine of up to Rwf5 million as per article 594 of the penal code.

“Narcotic drugs trade and abuse can never be tolerated in Rwanda and Police and the people are at the helm of eradicating the scourge. Such illegal acts negatively impacts one’s health and society, therefore, citizens are called to strengthen partnership with security organs through sharing timely information on dealers to break chains of supply and ultimately prevent consumption,” said the spokesperson.

Source:Police

June 23, 2017
Frequent sexual activity can boost brain power in older adults

{More frequent sexual activity has been linked to improved brain function in older adults, according to a study by the universities of Coventry and Oxford.}

Researchers found that people who engaged in more regular sexual activity scored higher on tests that measured their verbal fluency and their ability to visually perceive objects and the spaces between them.

The study, published yesterday in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological and Social Sciences, involved 73 people aged between 50 and 83.

Participants filled in a questionnaire on how often, on average, they had engaged in sexual activity over the past 12 months — whether that was never, monthly or weekly — as well as answering questions about their general health and lifestyle.

The 28 men and 45 women also took part in a standardized test, which is typically used to measure different patterns of brain function in older adults, focusing on attention, memory, fluency, language and visuospatial ability.

This included verbal fluency tests in which participants had 60 seconds to name as many animals as possible, and then to say as many words beginning with F as they could — tests which reflect higher cognitive abilities.

They also took part in tests to determine their visuospatial ability which included copying a complex design and drawing a clock face from memory.

It was these two sets of tests where participants who engaged in weekly sexual activity scored the most highly, with the verbal fluency tests showing the strongest effect.

The results suggested that frequency of sexual activity was not linked to attention, memory or language. In these tests, the participants performed just as well regardless of whether they reported weekly, monthly or no sexual activity.

This study expanded on previous research from 2016, which found that older adults who were sexually active scored higher on cognitive tests than those who were not sexually active.

But this time the research looked more specifically at the impact of the frequency of sexual activity (i.e. does it make a difference how often you engage in sexual activity) and also used a broader range of tests to investigate different areas of cognitive function.

The academics say further research could look at how biological elements, such as dopamine and oxytocin, could influence the relationship between sexual activity and brain function to give a fuller explanation of their findings.

Lead researcher Dr Hayley Wright, from Coventry University’s Centre for Research in Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement, said:

“We can only speculate whether this is driven by social or physical elements — but an area we would like to research further is the biological mechanisms that may influence this.

“Every time we do another piece of research we are getting a little bit closer to understanding why this association exists at all, what the underlying mechanisms are, and whether there is a ’cause and effect’ relationship between sexual activity and cognitive function in older people.

“People don’t like to think that older people have sex — but we need to challenge this conception at a societal level and look at what impact sexual activity can have on those aged 50 and over, beyond the known effects on sexual health and general wellbeing.”

Source:Science Daily

June 23, 2017
Ngoma residents recommit to ensure public security

{Residents of Ngoma District have recommitted to ensure that security remains the order of the day in their localities by reporting suspected wrongdoers.}

They made the commitment during their meeting held on June 20 in Rurenge Sector.

The meeting attended by Police and other local leaders was presided over by the mayor of Ngoma, Aphrodis Nambaje .

Mayor Nambaje, who commended the role of residents in crime prevention, noted that individual and collective determination and approach, no doubt, can lead to sustainable security.

Inspector of Police (IP) Iyakaremye Nsabimana said that much as police had a responsibility to safeguard public security, “the people also have an obligation to share and give accurate and useful information to assist security organs in containing crime in their respective areas.”

Drug trafficking and abuse, and isolated cases of theft as well as gender related cases, are some of the crimes still common in Ngoma.

IP Iyakaremye urged them to report drug dealers, who use the district as their transit route to other parts of the region and in City of Kigali.

Source:Police

June 23, 2017
8 foods you should eat for a healthy sperm

{A good diet is essential for healthy sperm. According to a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, a healthy intake of nutrients like vitamin C, E, folate and zinc can boost sperm quality.}

Here are 8 foods you should eat for a healthy sperm

{{1. Tomatoes }}

Lycopene has been found to significantly improve sperm quality and tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene. Lycopene can boost sperm count up to 70%.

{{2. Oysters }}

Oysters are a good source of zinc which has been found to increase sperm production and sperm potency. A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that men who took zinc sulphates daily saw a 74 per cent increase in sperm count after 26 weeks.

{{3. Walnuts}}

Walnuts are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and a study by the Society for the Study of Reproduction found that eating 2.5 oz or around 75g of walnuts daily increases sperm motility, vitality and morphology.

4. Eggs

Including egg in your diet will help boost sperm count and fertility because eggs are rich in vitamin E, D, B6, B12, iron, copper and other sperm boosting properties like zinc.

{{5. Salmon }}

Salmon or other fatty fish like mackerel, sardines and tuna should be added to your diet for a healthy sperm because they are good source of omega 3 fatty acids which are known to give higher quality sperm.

{{6. Water }}

Drinking enough water is another way of improving your sperm count and quality. Semen is water based and staying hydrated will help improve semen production.

{{7. Beef }}

Adding beef to your diet would help boost sperm production and quality due to a nutrient known as L-carnitine which is found in beef. A study by European Academy of Andrology found that men who supplemented their diet with L-carnitine increased their sperm concentration and motility significantly.

{{8. Pomegranates }}

Researchers have found that consumption of pomegranates improves sperm quality. According to a Turkish study, consumption of pomegranates increases the production of antioxidants that help protect the vulnerable fatty acids in sperm against oxidation.

Source:Elcrema

June 23, 2017
IGP commend role of ‘Youth Volunteers’ in Policing

{The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Emmanuel K. Gasana has commended the members of Rwanda Youth Volunteers in Community Policing, for their role in anti-crime awareness and crime prevention.}

IGP Gasana was speaking on June 22 during a meeting with district coordinators of the youth organization. The meeting held at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru, was also attended by District Community Liaison Officers (DCLOs) of all the 30 districts.

The Police Chief noted that the youth group, like other community policing groupings and Rwandans in general, has played an enormous role in promoting community safety citing the latest activities during the just concluded ‘Police Week.

During the Police Week anniversary activities, youth volunteers also supported disadvantaged communities livestock and food stuff.

He, however, challenged them to further strengthen the concept of Community Policing to ensure that crimes are efficiently and effectively prevented, to sustainably make Rwanda a more peaceful and secure country for fast development.

While citing the issue of being ambitious and focused, IGP Gasana, took the youth back to 1990 liberation struggle noting that “the liberators would become tired but driven by determination, focus and zeal for a peaceful country for all”, which gave energy to continue moving forward.

“We had a clear and well defined vision, and we knew quite well where we were headed; this was a huge motivational factor which pushed us until we took over from the dictatorial regime.”

He challenging the youth to draw lessons from history and be more motivated to actively be part of the transformation process and take the country to another level.

He urged both the youth volunteers and the DCLOs to always work together with discipline, and setting an example to others, and pledged to continue supporting them in their community social welfare activities.

With close to 2000 members of RYVCP countrywide currently, the group strives to ensure crime-free societies and to supplement the government development agenda.

Source:Police

June 23, 2017